agency and means share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. agency means “an administrative unit of government”. means means “thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end”. means is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈeɪdʒənsi/
1.n.an administrative unit of government
“the Central Intelligence Agency”
2.n.a business or organization that provides a particular service, especially the mediation of transactions between two parties
3.n.the state of being in action or exerting power
“the agency of providence”
/ˈminz/
1.n.thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
“a means of control”
2.n.an instrumentality for accomplishing some end
3.n.considerable capital (wealth or income)
“he is a man of means”
| agency | means | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪdʒənsi/ | /ˈminz/ |
| Said | AY-juhn-see | meenz |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 5 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | federal agency, government agency, bureau | agency, way |
Full entry for agency · Full entry for means · More comparisons